Category Nigeria News

Governor Abdullahi Ganduje (file)

The Court of Appeal sitting in Kaduna State has upheld the election of Abdullahi Ganduje as duly elected Governor of Kano State.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate had on April 11 filed a petition at the Appeal Court against the October 2nd judgement of the election petition tribunal.

READ ALSO: INEC Presents Certificate Of Return To Yahaya Bello

The election petition tribunal had upheld the election of Ganduje of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the March 24 supplementary election held in some electoral wards in Kano State.

However, in a unanimous judgement delivered on the petition on Friday, a five-man panel of the court led by Justice Tijjani Abubakar dismissed the appeal by the PDP and its governorship candidate, Abba Yusuf.

The court affirmed the October 2nd judgment of the Kano State Governorship Election Tribunal, which had dismissed the petition by PDP and its candidate, challenging Ganduje’s victory at the supplementary election.

It could be recalled that the Kano State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal led by Justice Halima Shamaki had in its unanimous judgment on October 2nd,  dismissed the petition filed by the  PDP and Yusuf on grounds that the petitioners failed to prove their claims that the election was marred by irregularities and substantial non-compliance with the Electoral Act.

The tribunal also held that INEC was right in declaring the March 9 election in Kano State inconclusive and also in declaring Ganduje the winner of the supplementary election held on March 23.

The lower court also said that declaring an election as inconclusive where there are lawful reasons is constitutional.

Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, decorates a senior officer of the Nigerian Air Force at the NAF headquarters in Abuja on November 21, 2019. Photo: Channels TV/ Sodiq Adelakun.

The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, says the Nigeria Air Force will only reward officers and men who have shown commitment and professionalism to the protection of the country.

He stated this at the decoration of 13 Air Vice Marshals and 35 Air Commodores which held on Thursday in Abuja, the nation’s capital.

Sadique noted that in an increasingly complex security environment where new challenges call for the very best, human capacity development remains one key responsibility of a fighting force.

According to him, personnel skill and commitment on-the-job go a long way to determine the overall success in the transformational drive and repositioning efforts of the air force into a highly professional and disciplined force that would respond to national security imperatives.

The air chief stresses the importance of ensuring that the services were led by persons with good leadership qualities if the military must eliminate or minimise costly mistakes during various operations.

This requirement, according to him, is higher in the case of the air force which is a highly technical service.

He, therefore, urged the newly promoted senior officers to see their promotion as recognition of professionalism and as being entrusted with the capacity to tackle higher responsibilities.

Justice Esther Edigin takes the oath of office as the Chief Judge of Edo State on November 22, 2019.

Justice Esther Edigin has been sworn in as the seventh Chief Judge of Edo State.

She takes over from Justice Esohe Ikponmwen who is now retired.

The swearing-in ceremony held on Friday at the Banquet Hall of the Government House in Benin City, the Edo State capital.

It had in attendance the state governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki, as well as top government officials and members of the judiciary in the state.

In his address at the ceremony, Governor Obaseki asked the new chief judge to expedite effective service delivery in the state’s judiciary.

Justice Edigin, in her response, said that the fight against corruption would be top on her priority list.

Highlights of the event are captured in the pictures below:

INEC REC in Oyo, Mutiu Agboke, with relatives of late Abimbola Adeniran at the commission’s office in Ibadan, the state capital.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has compensated the family of a corps member who died, Abimbola Adeniran, in an auto crash during the general elections in Oyo State.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Mr Mutiu Agboke, presented a cheque to the family of the lady on Friday at his office in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

He condoled with Abimbola’s family and encouraged them to see their daughter as a heroine who paid the ultimate price for a better nation.

READ ALSO: Family, Prophet Trade Blame Over Disappearance Of Minor From Ondo Church

According to him, INEC will do all within its power to nurture the relationship it has with the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and other ad-hoc staff community.

Agboke added that INEC recognises the critical mass represented by the ad-hoc staff during the electoral process and would continue to do all necessary to keep them safe.

He, therefore, called on the entire ad-hoc staff community not to be deterred by Abimbola’s death but to renew their determination for service to Nigeria and mankind.

The REC also asked politicians to stop the ‘do or die’ attitude during elections and allow the electorate to freely choose their leaders without violence, intimidation or harassment.

Missus Folasade Adeyemi, who received the cheque on behalf of Abimbola’s family, thanked the electoral body for commiserating with them and remembering their daughter.

Convener, #RevolutionNow protest, Omoyele Sowore has sued the Department of State Services, DSS, claiming N500 million for his illegal detention despite two courts directing the body to free him.

Sowore is asking the court to order the DSS to pay him N500m as general and aggravated damages for his detention and illegal violation of fundamental rights.

The activist made the demand in a suit marked FHC/ABJ /C51409/2019 dated November 20, 2019 and obtained by Sahara Reporters in Abuja on Friday.

The suit was supported by a 21-paragraph affidavit deposed to by Abubakar Marshall and accompanied by a written address.

It reads, “A declaration that the detention of the applicant from November 7, 2019 till date in violation of the order for his release made on November 6, 2019 is illegal as it violates his fundamental right to liberty guaranteed by Section 35 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) and Article 6 of African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Ratification and Enforcement Act (CAP A10) Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.

“An order of this court compelling the respondents to pay to the applicant the sum of N500,000, 000, 00 ( Five hundred million naira) as general and aggravated damages for the illegal violation of the applicant’s fundamental right to life, dignity of his person, fair hearing, health, freedom of movement and freedom of association.

“An order of perpetual injunction restraining the respondents from further violating the applicant’s fundamental rights in any manner whatsoever and however without lawful justification.”

Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), is joined in the suit.

Sowore was arrested in Lagos on August 3, 2019 for calling on Nigerians to take to the streets in peaceful demonstrations to demand a better country from the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

The government has accused him of insulting President Buhari and planning to bring down his government – charges observers around the world including leading legal practitioners describe as frivolous and laughable.

Source: PM News

The family of a one-year-old boy, Gold Kolawole, has accused the general overseer of a Christian worship centre in Akure of negligence following the disappeared of their son.

Gold was declared missing on November 10, during the service at the children’s section of Sotitobire Praying Ministry in the Ondo State capital.

The boy’s mother, Modupe, narrated how the incident happened to Channels Television, as well as efforts made so far to find and bring him back home.

She explained that on that fateful day, she took him to the children’s section of the church where over 100 other kids were being taken care of.

On her return to the section, Modupe lamented that she found out that her son had disappeared.

She added that none of the 14 members of the church at the section could explain his whereabouts.

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The baby’s mother said this was the beginning of their trouble as the entire family has been in serious confusion, searching for little Gold.

She noted that the matter has been reported to the police who she said have swung into action to ensure the boy was found.

Modupe, however, accused the leadership of the church of negligence and not helping out in searching for her son.

On his part, Gold’s father, Temitope, told Channels Television he was attacked and beaten by thugs along with his wife when they went to the church to plead with the pastor to assist in the matter.

He denied the claims that he abducted his own son and demanded N10 million as ransom from the pastor of the church.

After persistent calls and messages, the prophet, Babatunde Samuel, narrated his side of the story to Channels Television.

Samuel, who chose the title ‘Alfa’ for himself, accused the parents of gold of not cooperating with him to find their missing child.

Rather, he alleged that the boy’s father and mother have been going about to destroy his reputation.

The prophet also claimed that Temitope mobilised thugs with dangerous weapons to attack him in the church.

He, therefore, appealed to the police to investigate the circumstances that led to the disappearance of Gold and bring anyone found culpable to justice.

The Commissioner of Police in Ondo, Undie Adie, confirmed the incident to Channels Television.

He said the allegation by the parent of the missing child that the pastor was harassing them with the police was untrue.

Adie disclosed that the police were already investigating the incident and have been inviting some people for interrogation.